Golf club grip finder



GOLF CLUB GRIP FINDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1947 INVENTCR fffl/VA ST 6421,?

BYi- WTTORNEY 7 Oct. 11, 1949. F. STRAZZA 2,484,762

GOLF CLUB GRIP FINDER Filed Jan. 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 11, 1949 NITED PATENT OFFICE 2&484562 GOLF CLUB GRIB FINDER Frank Strazza,--"Clearwater Beach-Fla. Application January-;29, 1947, Serial No. 725,044

. This invention relates to putting irons and more v .pa1"ticu'lai'ly to a v grip attachment therefor by which the player will be compelled to .take the proper grip upon the handle.

In putting, the player has a tendency to pull the" club in one direction or the other .sothat the club head either cuts across the .ball ors'lices the ball on the putting stroke. The ball'will accordingly be directed along a'path not intended by the player. Without some means on the club handle-the player has no way of findingthe proper location forhis hands. With prior attachments, attention has been paid to the 'loca tion" to but one of the hands but there has been a'failureto's'ee that the other hand is properly located upon the handle. The "thumbs of 'both hands should be axially aligned upon "the'club handle. One thumb should be "located directly above theoth'er.

'Itis thus an object of the present invention toprdvide a grip finder fora'putting iron whereby b'o'th thumbs of the respective hands will be properly aligned upon the handle of the'clmb and properly supported to prevent slipping as the :club is i put into action and whereby-to elimi nate so far as possible the tendency to pull the clubsinione-direction or the other.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a grip finder which can be applied quickly-andeasily to the hands-of the club Jby the player himself and in such .a manner that :it can be easily adjusted at the fancy of the player on the golf course without the necessity of having to detach the same by usewof a tool as when screws would be. used but byas simple an operatlon as the removal of tacky tape from around the ends 'ofthe attachment.

According to the. invention, :my grip-finder attachment provides .afirm rest or seat for the ball of the thumb of each hand and compels the proper'salignment of one thumb above the other. The grlip finder .is .preferably' made of molded plastic material or the like and is shaped so as to have two areas for receiving the respective thumbs so formed that the thumbs cannot slip beyond the area when making the putting stroke. The area is relieved from the side of the grip finder from which the thumb is applied but is raised at the opposite side of the grip finder to prevent the sliding of the thumb over or around the grip finder and providing something of an uncomfortably sharp edge should the thumb have a tendency to drift over the side of the grip finder. A rearward relief is provided for the thumb of the hand which is lowermost on the 2. club "so'that the thumb will not assume anything buta natural jposition upon. this area. The area .for the "uppermost thumb" is not relieved to such an extent, However, there is provided a relief from'the direction "at which the uppermost thumb is applied to the grip finder and there is a raised portion atthe opposite side of the'grip finder toprevent'the slippage of the thumb on that side of the grip finder. This attachment accordingly-provides a firm rest or seat for both thumbs so that an accurate stroke cannot help but be delivered. The ends of the grip finder are recessed and the under portion of the grip finder is hollowed'out to conform to the club handle surface. In therecessed :ends there is disposed .a piece "of tacky tape adapted to extend partly in the recess and partly" upon thesurface .of the handle whereby 'td'fix the grip finder to the handle. By this manner of attaching the grip 'findr tothe handle, it will be seen that the grip finder :can'beeasily adjusted on the golf course by'the player until he has predetermined the exact position for "the grip finder upon the club.

For'other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection' with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. '1 is an elevational view of a putting club with the-gripfinder of the present invention fixedfon the handle of the club.

' Fig.2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the handle'of'the club and showing the grip finder thereon and the arrangement of the players thumbs upon the grip finder.

, Fig.3 is a topplan'view of 'thegrip finder with iHuStratiOn'made to the manner in which the grip finder is attached to the club handle.

Fig; 4 is a 'side'elevational view of thehandle and the gripfinder taken on line '44 of Fig. 3 and looking in' the direction of the arrows thereof with the lower end of the club being to the left.

Fig. 5is asid-elevational view of the club handle and the grip finder as -viewed on 'line 5"5 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows thereof with the lower end of the handle being to the right.

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the handle and looking toward one end of the grip finder as viewed on line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows thereof.

Fig. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the club handle and looking upon the opposite end of the grip finder and as viewed on Referring now to the figures, Ill represents a putting iron or club having a head ll adapted to; i

engage a ball I2 resting on the putting green and a handle portion l3 which is gripped by the play ers hands I4 and I5 when making a putting stroke.

This handle portion is roundand usually has a gripping surface thereon.

On this handle portion l3 there is disposed grip; I

.and at the same time to conserve material.

The top surface of the grip finder has an area l9 to receive a thumb 21 of the hand. This area [9 is relieved on the right side of the grip finder so that the right thumb can be readily slid into place upon the area. This relief is indicated at 22. Also there is a further relief as indicated at 23 at the upper part of the area so as to permit the side of the thumb as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, to be inclined and to be extended over to the opposite side of the grip finder. The opposite side edge of this area 19 isvraised as indicated at 24 whereby to prevent'the thumb from slipping off the grip finder to the left. This portion is raised and has somewhat a sharp edge on its top so that the thumb would not be extended over the same without being uncomfortable and without giving due warning to the player that his thumb is in the wrong position.

Above the area l9 and the intermediateportion 11, is a thumb area 26 for receiving thumb 21 of the left hand l5. This area is shaped slightly differently but is relievedas indicated at 21 so as to permit the thumb to be slid inwardly from the left and has a raised portion 28 at the opposite side edge of the area 26 similar to the raised portion 24 of the area l9, whereby. to prevent the slippage of the left thumb from the grip finder. Thus not only will the right thumb be properly positioned upon the putting iron handle but also the left thumb will be properly aligned and prevented from being displaced when the putting stroke is effected. Thus a good and efiicient grip is had upon the handle of the putting iron. The forward end of the area 26 is shaped as indicated at 29 to receive the end of the thumb whereby to prevent the downward slipping of the left thumb along the grip finder- While various devices can be used for securing the grip finder to the handle I3, I have found a very satisfactory manner to effect the connection of the grip finder to the handle whereby the player can properly adjust the grip finder when in the field without the necessity of a special tool to act upon the device. I have provided on the opposite ends of the grip finder a recess 3l into which a strip of tacky tape 32 oan be extended. This tacky tape .will stick tothe recess and also to the surface of the handle whereby to effectively se- 1 cure the grip finder in place on the handle. Once by trial the player has properly located the grip finder upon the handle, a mark 33 can be made upon the handle adjacent the arrow 33 on the forward end of the grip finder so that thereafter the player will know that the grip finder has not been displaced from its proper location.

While'various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understoodthat such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention 'as defined by the appended claim.

I claim: I A grip finder for golf clubs comprising a raised intermediate portion being raised above the remainder of the finder, depressed thumb portions adapted to receive respectively the thumbs of the different hands, one thumb portion being below the intermediate portion and the other thumb portion being above the intermediate portion, said thumb portions being further instraight line re lationship with one another and in close relationship to the intermediate portion, said thumb portions being further high close to, the intermediate portion and dropping off gradually therefrom, said thumb portions being respectively relieved from the edges from which the thumbs are extended onto the same and being respectively raised at the opposite side edges of the portions whereby'to prevent the slippage of the thumbs from these portions, the material of the raised edges dropping off sharply to give an' uncomfort ablefeeling to the thumb should the thumb be improperly extended over them. i 4 12,;

FRANK STRAZZA."

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file O this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Date;

Name v 1,734,684 Lyndon Nov. 5;1929 1.804316 Butler May 5', 1931 1,982,526 Lussky .et al' Nov. 27, 1934 1,997,364 Holden et a1. Apr. '3',"1 935 FOREIGN PATENTS I Number 3 Country Date 435,048 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1935 

